With a passion for bringing people together and helping local businesses flourish, Donna Einemann will become the next president of the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce in January, succeeding Ed Asip after three years in the role.
Einemann, the chamber’s current first vice president and events chair, will officially assume the presidency during the chamber’s annual installation dinner. She has been involved with the organization for more than 10 years, serving as membership chairperson, board member and executive board member.
“I very much love to be a part of the fabric of a community that I can actually help advance,” Einemann said. “For me, it's about seeing what we can do better and then finding the people and putting them in place for that together.”
Born in Rockville Centre and raised in East Rockaway, Einemann has a background in retail, marketing and real estate. She held leadership positions with Macy’s, Estée Lauder and Marvin Windows & Doors before entering real estate. She later managed Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and opened the Douglas Elliman office in Rockville Centre six years ago.
As events chair, Einemann helped expand the chamber’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies by incorporating live social media interviews on Instagram and Facebook to introduce businesses to the community. As president, she said she wants to continue developing events that bring customers to different commercial districts and modernize the chamber’s website to make it a central resource for local businesses.
“Our events are not village. They're not just community events. They are commerce and community events,” Einemann said. “They're pop-up events that bring our community to our commerce.”
Asip said he believes Einemann is ready to lead the organization, citing her enthusiasm, ideas and ability to follow through.
“She’s got new ideas and she's got the will to follow through,” he said. “It's not just ideas, it's action, and she gets people to participate, to volunteer. It's just remarkable.”
During Asip’s tenure, membership grew from about 130 in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic to approximately 200. He also highlighted the chamber’s relationship with Molloy University through its community diversity program, a monthly women’s group and expanded events, including a summer music festival series.
“I'm proud of the way we took a look at the business areas of Rockville Centre, and started thinking more in terms of how do we support the different business neighborhoods throughout the year,” he said.
He plans to remain involved as past president, focusing on the chamber’s street captain program and efforts to support brick-and-mortar businesses.
Susan Gatti will succeed Einemann as first vice president. Gatti, who has served on the chamber’s board for three to four years, credited Asip with rebuilding the organization’s foundation and Einemann with expanding its visibility through events.
Gatti runs Disruptive Spark, a firm that helps companies develop strategies for growth and branding. She said she hopes to apply that experience to the chamber, including developing a strategic plan for the next three to five years and a proposed “business thrive score” to measure how effectively the organization serves its diverse membership.
“I want members to be able to say, because I joined the Chamber, my business grew by ‘X’ amount,” Gatti said.
Gatti also leads the chamber’s women’s group, which hosts educational and networking events at local businesses.
Gatti said she hopes to help strengthen connections among South Shore communities while continuing to support businesses in Rockville Centre.
“The stronger all of our communities are, the more people are coming to the South Shore of Long Island,” she said. “And I want to be a big part of that too.”
Don Gelestino of Champion Elevator will move up to second vice president, while Tom Bogue and Catie Seward will retain their roles as treasurer and secretary, respectively.
